Splash247: Zhonggu Logistics ups the ante with twin boxship order

Zhonggu Logistics has continued to build out its orderbook, lining up two post-panamax boxships at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard.

The Shanghai-listed liner confirmed the deal in a stock exchange filing, saying it or its subsidiaries plan to sign a construction contract with Jinling’s Jiangsu yard for two 6,000 teu vessels. The total contract value is capped at RMB 1.16bn ($167m), excluding taxes.

The order follows a return to newbuilding activity earlier this year. In January, Zhonggu booked up to six 6,000 teu boxships at Hengli Heavy Industry, marking its first fresh orders in several years.

That deal included four firm vessels, with options for a further two units. Deliveries from the Hengli contract are scheduled to run through 2028.

Taken together, Zhonggu’s confirmed and optional orders this year lift its potential newbuilding spend to nearly $670m.

Fleet data from Alphaliner shows Zhonggu Logistics currently operates 62 vessels with a combined capacity of 53,664 teu. The company’s last major ordering push dates back to 2021, when it contracted a series of 4,600 teu ships at prices of roughly $35m per vessel.